


The Legacy of Hermann Harper

by Terra_ble



Category: Pacific Rim (2013), Torchwood
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Hermann Gottlieb is Owen Harper, Jack is Jack, Multi, Newt is confused, dead!owen, mental separation issues, spoilers for S2E6 of Torchwood, what you thought the drift had no after effects?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:19:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terra_ble/pseuds/Terra_ble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Owen is dead and tries to move on but Torchwood decides to haunt him in the form of Captain Jack Harkness and his gorgeous coat. </p>
<p>Oh yeah and there's an alien apocalypse happening, but really, isn't that fairly normal by now?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really love crossovers and this would not get out of my head! This plot bunny has taken off fast. Currently in progress, but posting what I can.

Hermann was his brother’s name. He died in the battle of Canary Warf. Owen never found out if he’d been converted or just a causality - just an informal note passed to him from the government informing him of his loss.

After being dead for half a decade, Owen decides to leave his stupid name, his sex addicted past strewn with the dead bodies of his friends and the near constant barrage of alien junk to move far away. Learn a new language, go back to school. Always wanted to pick up German.

Odd how his father had always pushed him to become a doctor, and yet math sang to him, gave him purpose, made him feel alive again. Well, not alive. But sometimes it felt close when he got carried away in his formulas and theories.

Tosh would have laughed to see him this excited about numbers. He never slowed down enough in life to appreciate her mind. He doesn’t make that mistake in death.

 The name on his new degree, Hermann Gottlieb feels less like a fresh start and more like old ghosts following him. He goes by Dr. Gottlieb, writes a few papers, gets noticed. Then the attacks begin.

\--------

Kaiju. A rift opened in the middle of the ocean. It’s like Torchwood will never just LET HIM DIE ALREADY. He follows his passion and his fear all the way to Stacker and starts to work for a cause. Again.

Hermann Gottlieb is more than just a name, it’s who he is. He sheds the slang in favor of formal speech, trades his style for…not, and begins life as the celibate antithesis of his former self.

And his asinine little lab partner flaunts what he misses every day.

Newton Geiszler, the perfect model of LIFE incarnate. Jittering with energy, passion, enjoying loud LOUD music and digging needles that he can FEEL under his skin. Every glance at his tattoos reminds him of the skin that breaks, erodes, never to be replaced until he will ultimately fall to weathering, not age.

This manic whirlwind with a passion for science, constantly showing him what he used to be. When he was a doctor of just the medical persuasion. When his friends were still alive. When Tosh and Ianto were still alive and he wasn’t so damn BROKEN.

So he becomes a bitter old man. In just a few years, everything that reminds him of Owen fills him with jealous hate until the only way he can show his affection for this alive ALIVE human that shares his space is through constant jabs, insults to show his worry for his friend’s health. Hermann may not have to worry about his own but he’s damn well going to protect Newton’s.

He always refers to Dr. Gieszler as Newton in his head, it’s hard not to after working with this man for so many years. He never says it aloud, hoping futilely that by being formal with Newton he will stop calling him by the name of ~~his~~ Owen’s dead brother.

It doesn’t work. It wouldn’t have worked on Owen either.

\-------------------------

\--------------------------

So he throws himself into his equations, secretly relishing in the surface rivalry that makes him feel some semblance of life. Even the kaiju guts on his side of the lab, but honestly they remind him his days as a doctor and he could use not remembering Owen more than once a day so Newton should really cut that out.

He helps create the Jaegers, improves upon an old design from Tosh. She was working on an alternative use for Cyberman armor. Unfortunately their design required the user to be deleted and reprogrammed to a specific brainwave pattern or…the rejects, the insane and those who seemed to hide a spark of humanity would emerge. Owen could never let a travesty like Lisa happen again. He created the idea of a ‘neural handshake’ after it became apparent that one could never upload themselves alone without severe damage.  He really wanted to call it a ‘mind meld’ but he had a feeling neither Tosh nor Hermann would approve.

Time passed with regularity. His predictive models for Kaiju attacks were coming along but had some worrisome trends. He only hoped that by staring at them long enough its pattern would emerge.

Newton keeps pestering him to eat. When Hermann is so busy, he forgets to maintain the illusion of necessity. Sleep and food are for the weak. Everyone just assumes he’s an eccentric scientist and leaves it at that. Perfect.

Though getting drunk, he really misses that. And the sex. And the eating. But mostly the sex.

\----------

Then his _absoluteidiotwhatthefuckwereyouthinkingyoucannotleavemehereallaloneitsnogoodifwe’rebothedead_ of a friend decides to drift with a goddamn kaiju and he can feel his senses whiting out as he discovers the prone body lying on the floor. He cannot WILL NOT see his friends die again.

And when that idiot of a six degree genius decides to drift with a fetus, he steels his resolve, pushes Owen down and volunteers.

\------

\------

_Alive_

_Manic excitement  - Kaiju specimens;  real ones up close! Not harvested months ago by some basic biologist just out of grad school with no idea how to properly store the remains. DNAsequenceCONNECTIONmustdriftitstheonlywayIHOPEHERMANNgetsabetterlabpartnerONEWHODISPOSESofremainsproperlyTHATPOMPUSjerkface~~affection~~_

_ HECANNOTFINDOUTABOUTowenwonderifheknowshowmuchofaSEXADDICTIUSEDTObe _

_ JACKtoshGWENiantoSTACYgodImissbeingadoctorANDBEINGALIVE _

_ Death.I’mdead.NOfoodsleepsexwhycan’tIjustdiealready _

_ Tosh. _

**_Blue_ **

**_SpacepeoplecreatedcloneattackragerevengeBEATIFULOCEANTAKEBACKFORQUEEN_ **

**_ServeServeServeServeServeServeServe_ **

**_VerminNOATTACKverminDIEvermindon’tknowONLYWECANPASS_ **

**_ServeServeServeServeServeServeServe_ **

****

_Itisn’tgoingtoworkWHOTHEHELLISHERMANN Fucktheplanwon’tworkFUCKIHOPENEWTONDOESN’TSEEOWEN **VERMINKNOWPROTECTTHEPORTAL**_

\-----------------------------------------------------

Hermann’s first thought when he comes to is “Oh god he knows about Owen” after which he promptly throws up in a conveniently placed toilet.

They turn to each other, silently conferring to disregard the drift between themselves for a moment and rush off to tell Stacker.

Owen wonders in passing if saving the world multiple times is infinitely superior to those who might have six degrees and wonders how to edge that into a conversation. The one he knows and fears is coming. Fuck that.

\------

\------

The world is saved and Owen has to leave. Back to Germany for a few years at least. His new name will have to stay for a while now that he and Newton are legitimately “rockstars” of the scientific community.

He puts another blackboard into a crate and sighs, he will really miss this energy. Tenured teaching somehow doesn’t have the same allure.

“What the hell, dude” startles him out of his thoughts.

“W-what?” He manages to reply.

“What. The Hell. Dude.” Newton repeats.

“I haven’t the faintest what you’re talking about now if you’ll excuse me I am really quite busy.” He brushes off, pleased that it only came across as mostly sarcastic.

“No.”

“Dr. Gieszler…”

“NEWton. Newton. I know you call me that, I’ve seen your head remember?”

Hermann blanches a bit, “A-alright Newton. I really must be go---“ he tries, making a beeline for the door. Anything to avoid the inevitable, really.

Newton blocks his path. “Who ARE you?”

Hermann stops short but says nothing. Newton barrels over the silence as if it never existed.

“Because I was in your head dude and I’m confused. Like, REALLY confused. You look at me and see you? The you who was a doctor? And all those flashes, the death, the aliens. Ohmigod are you an alien? Because that would explain so much – the predictions, the resistance to me drifting----. What?”

Hermann has no idea what to do with this barrage so he….just breaks down laughing. Eventually his injured leg would strain so he sits down, giggling like a madman at his worst fears.

“No,” he eventually replies to Newton’s stare (has he never laughed as Hermann?), “I’m not an alien. Human. Well, I was. Not sure what the hell I am now---“

He cuts himself off as another fit of giggles rises in response to Newton’s stunned face at his switch in diction.

“I---ha---I mean, no. I, I used to work for this…organization. Peacekeepers of a kind, they fight aliens. Well, fought aliens. Most of us are dead now. Well, so am I but…I was brought back and now…I can’t die. Besides I fought you drifting with the kaiju because have you no idea about personal safety you daft creature?” he says slipping back in Hermann.

“Hey I saved the world. A little corneal reminder was worth it.” Newton shoots back. Then, a little more seriously, “So, is that who Owen is. Was?” and a little less so “Can I totally have a tissue sample though because man I really want to sequence you right now.”

Hermann chuckles a little, mostly in relief. “You can try, but my skin doesn’t grow back. Ever. So be careful.”

“Woah. Well, now that the apocalypse is over, I can start working on this polymer mimic for human skin that I’ve been designing. Maybe you could test it for me?”

Hermann looks at him. “Designing it? Since when?”

“Oh, about 20 seconds ago. Already got a composite all planned out.”

“Thank you, Newton.”

\-----------------------

The world adjusts to the lack of giant monstrous beasts. Hermann and Newton both manage to get teaching positions in Germany, though luckily without shared lab space. Which Hermann secretly missed, but the rest of the university staff were glad about, though they did not know it.

It’d only been a month since the last event. Mako and Raleigh try to visit, but are mobbed with adoring fans almost everywhere they go so they decide to sneak away and covertly drop off the face of the earth for a few weeks. Together, of course.

Hermann and Newton meet up almost every hour they aren’t teaching. Being in a drift does that to people. Especially when faulty equipment means the already-barely-tested mental separation issues might be more severe. They don’t know. Neither of them have the desire to spend enough time apart to test the theory.

But recently Owen’s been seeing things. A flash of navy blue and an ~~asinine~~ gorgeous smile.

Shit.

For the first time all year, the rest of the staff are surprised to see Newton alone on his lunch break.

Owen chases after Jack.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting/writing will be sporadic because of life. This crossover is really fun to write and keeps unintentionally gaining more plot so I will definitely be continuing. Sorry!

It was Newton who finally stumbled across Jack and Hermann. His new samples were sent to Hermann for some reason, straight from the less-than-legitimate crime syndicate whose leaderless organization offered to trade him some perfectly preserved specimens for their bosses’ gold shoe. Weird. But, hey, new samples.

It was the voices that stopped him short. Not raised like he was used to, but Hermann almost sounded…sad? Had it not been for the drift Newt would have doubted he even had other emotions than angry and bitter.

“I thought you di----“ drifts though the slightly open door, wedged with some cables.

“I did fucking die, Jack.” Comes through a little louder. This must be about Owen. Vague bits of memories transferred over to Newt, but he never heard more about Owen than their previous conversation. Hermann never volunteered, no matter how hard Newton pushed. Manic duress seemed to be the only way to get his former lab partner to open up about his past.

“You know what I meant. Did Tosh----?” Tosh? Is he married?

“No.”

The silence holds for long moment, Newt starts to feel a little bad for eavesdropping, but it wasn’t as if Hermann would tell him anything if it wasn’t literally forced out of his brain so Newt dismisses the thought.

“Well—“ the other man says somewhat hesitantly. Obviously Tosh is not a good subject. “At least you found someone to look after you. He’s cute. Nice tattoos.”  
Newt blanches, he can hear Hermann spluttering.

“Wh- on earth- god Jack----No.” He eventually comes out with.

“Oh. Really?” is the only reply, not phased in the slightest.

“No Jack. Just…no.”

“I wasn’t even---“

“Yes you were. No.”

Newt takes this awkward moment to realize he’s been creeping outside of Hermann’s lab for too long. It’s time to break up whatever the hell this is.

  
“Hey Herms! Who’s your friend?” He decides is the best possible entrance.

  
“No one. He was leaving.” Hermann says pointedly.

“Jack” gives Newton a wink and saunters out of the lab. “He’s right. I’ll be back though,” he says as he leaves. Hermann seems too busy glaring holes into the man’s coat to notice his parting words.

“Hey Her---- Hermann? HERMANN!” Newton shouts until Hermann finally notices his efforts.

“What?”

“What do you mean “what”? Maybe, I don’t know--- who the hell was that? Is he…” Newton hesitates his stream of words, “..from Owen’s life?” he asks a little kinder.

Hermann stiffens at the words and walks over to his blackboards. His silence and the tense line of his shoulders as he attempts to write down another subset to his equations make it clear the conversation is over.

“No dude. You are not shutting me out. I HAD TO LOOK INTO YOUR FREAKING HEAD TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU! You are not doing that to me again!” Newton shouts.

  
Hermann looks contrary.

“Please.”

Hermann’s façade crumbles slightly. “You…” He takes a deep breath, “You know that organization I mentioned after we drifted?”

Newton has the good sense to remain silent and nod slightly. He notices the little shift in Hermann’s personality whenever he talks about Owen. His speech and mannerisms change instantly. It seems too familiar and consistent of an accident to be fake.

“Well. It was called Torchwood. There were five of us: me, Tosh, Gwen, Ianto and Jack. There was another….anyway. We fought aliens, protected the world.” Hermann looks rather smugly at his blackboard. “There was an accident, well a series of accidents. Except for Gwen, we all died. Even me.” He sighs, “The man you just saw was Jack. He was the leader of our organization. Immortal. Not like me, he just can’t die. He had no idea I was still alive.” He looks wistful and his accent slips slightly into, is that Welsh? “It’s just Jack. It’s what he does – just saunters into our lives, does how he pleases ; knowing all the while we’ll wait – that things are better when he’s here.”

He pauses and continues wistfully “He ruins my life is what he does and now he’s back to ruin my death.”

Newton clears his throat. Hermann looks startled as his presence and his accent snaps back, the familiar lean on his cane returns.

  
“Newton! What are you even doing in my lab? You have your own. I do important work here, I can’t be interrupted by slacking biologists!” He offers a small smile, “I’ll see you after work?”

  
“Yeah” Newton nods and leaves, grabbing his samples quickly on the way out.

  
\--------------------  
\--------------------

  
They meet for drinks in a pub near the university, the location was secret amongst the professors to avoid the drunken student sycophants that might ruin their evenings. Even then, it took Newt the better part of a year to convince Hermann to come. He still refuses to drink, but mostly because Newton didn’t feel like wasting half a decade trying to convince him to.

So Hermann regales him with the newest transdimensional rift sealing technique using locking quantum dark matter while Newton sips whatever is on tap and throws in suppositions of the originations due to kaiju morphology. It’s all good fun, well until they start arguing.

“Hey, all I’m saying is that they CAN’T have come from that quadrant. There isn’t enough heat to support silicon based life!” Newton says in a perfectly reasonable and not at all shouting tone.

“You rely on science. I have the NUMBERS to prove it. You respond with the limitations of your craft. They are there.”

“You DO know we can see stars right? These wonderful things called telescopes----“

“Numbers do not lie----“ “---oh yes, I’m SURE that no other variable could have POSSIBLY---“ “Plannetesimal variation within a quadrant is much greater-----“ “They had to get their energy from somewhere, we both saw----“

“Oh for God’s sake, don’t you two ever just SHUT UP?”

Both men glaringly turn their heads at the interruption. Hermann beats him to the response. “I will have you know……” he trails off. Oh that man, Jack, is back.

“…Yes?” Jack says, cocking an eyebrow.

“Oh nevermind,” Hermann grumbles. “I know I won’t be able to get rid of you.” He gestures to an empty chair.

“Loving the faint German accent. Wonderful country, Germany. They really love their beer. One Oktoberfest, 100 pints, an entire football team and a single beer wench costume. You won’t believe how long it took to get the goat out of the rafters.” He natters to himself, “You must be Newton.” He says, finally ending his odd tangent to focus on Newt.

“You can call me Newt----“

“No, Jack.” Herman cuts in, “What do you want?” he asks tiredly.

“I need your help. Off planet.”

“What the hell---“ Newton starts.

Jack ignores him and turns to Hermann. “I would wait, but it’s urgent. The Regalisto delegation on Treon VII is going to be attacked. Mayfly eggs in the air ducts. Worst comes to worst, I need someone who can operate the singularity scalpel.”

“God Jack, a couple days ago you didn’t even know I was ALIVE. Why don’t you get your new team to do it instead?”

“There is no new team. I couldn’t….” He suddenly looks more determined. “ I need your help, Owen.”

Hermann looks grim. “It seems like I don’t really have a choice here. Fine. One condition: after this, I’m dead. Really. You don’t follow me, you don’t track me. You release me. Forever.”

“Done.”

“Fine. I agree.”

Newt suddenly breaks out of his daze at the conversation happening over him. Hermann is leaving? Wait, what? He tries to say something, anything to get Hermann to reconsider, to stay.

“Wait, what?”

Ouch.

 

Hermann ignores him and looks at Jack. “I assume you----“

“Of course. Not my first time at a pub with a newbie.” He looks at Newt. “Luckily you’ve been here long enough I won’t have to worry about you leaving yourself any notes.”  
The entire pub is getting….darker? And a little spinny.

“And don’t try Gwen-ing this up.” Is all he hears as the world fades out completely.

  
\------  
“Our friend has had a bit much to drink, we’ll be getting him home.” Jack explains to the uninterested bartender while throwing an American twenty on the table. What a lightweight, the bartender thinks to herself as they leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which plot starts happening.

Hermann sheds his oversized vest and opens the closet in his small flat. He pulls out the leather jacket that still resides in a dusty box packed in the corner. Hermann. He can’t involve Hermann in this. Kauiji were one thing, but that persona was never meant for Torchwood. There would be no moving on while Owen still worked for Jack.

Newton. He feels a pang of regret, but quickly dismisses it. However thrilled Newt would be at seeing  living aliens, it would be too dangerous to bring him. Owen needed to do this. To finally be free.  Besides, between the Retcon and the samples Jack arranged Newton to have, he wouldn’t even notice that Hermann is missing.

Owen undresses fully, inspecting himself in the mirror. The polymer Newt created fills in the…gaps in his skin. It fails to match the rest of his skin tone, making him look like a blotchy amalgamation of parts. He quietly ignores the part of his brain that says Mary Shelley was right and looks at his leg. The polymer appears solid enough, but the cane is still a necessity until it is perfected. Owen would like to keep his limbs as long as he possibly could…and wasn’t that a horrifying thought?

He puts his contacts in with some difficulty. The cut in his eye, twin to Newt’s scar, gives him a faint morbid smile. He finishes dressing in his decade-old modern clothes. Owen has returned, hopefully for the last time he thinks sadly. Grabbing his familiar cane, he leaves to go meet Jack.

 

\--------------

Huh. I have a headache. Didn’t think I could have those anymore.

Couple more blocks until the church. Of all the places Jack could have chosen.

Ow. Almost there.

Ow. That really hurts. What the hell?

Owen enters the church as the world lurches suddenly, graying at the edges.

A mile away, Newton grabs his head and groans in his sleep.

“J---Jack---“ Owen stutters as everything begins to fade and promptly passes out on the ground.

\---------------

 

Jack runs over from the pews. This was wrong. Actually physically impossible. He examines Owen and checks his vitals. Nothing. Okay, normal.

He tries slapping Owen. Nothing. Glad the church is abandoned so no one saw that.

He moves Owen fully into the church so he can close the door. Owen now looks like he’s wincing, hard. Not good.

“You know most girls normally wait to see me naked before they begin to swoon.” Jack remarks. Better get the medkit from the car. He hefts Owen over his shoulder and brings him to the black SUV outside, the words of their previous organization removed with a judicious application of spray paint.

Once outside, Owen looks slightly better. Well, as much as possible for a guy with no circulation.

“Newt” Herman mumbles.

Jack smiles to himself. Knew it. Still, it is his best lead for what could have happened to Owen.

As he drives Owen back to the block of flats where he and Newton reside, Owen begins to come around again.

“What the hell, Jack?”

“What the hell me? What did I do?”

“Well it must have been you becau--- Newt’s awake.”

What an abrupt nonsequitir. “What?”

“Oh no. This is bad. Bad. Very bad.” Owen mutters to himself.

“Now that you’re awake can we please go, it’s rather urgent, and on the way you can explain how someone without a blood flow can pass out like a maiden.”

“Shut up Jack. No we cannot go. You have to get me back to Newton.”

Jack eyes him obviously, “That’s where we’re headed. You said something about him in your sleep now I assume….”

“No. God. I don’t know what’s even happened to him. We didn’t test it. We had no way of knowing how it works in conjunction with the alien technology that keeps me alive.” Owen quietly mutters to himself, ignoring Jack. 

“What is this about?” He says seriously.

“Metal link software. Did you never wonder why the Jaegers ran successfully on humans even though cybermen had to be networked? I created the drift, allowing two pilots to meld their consciousness.  The side effects are drastic, as was to be expected, but fairly standard; strong separation issues, ghosting of the others’ memories. But Newton, he decided to drift with a bloody Kaiju….twice! He was luckily to survive the first time and I couldn’t…I had to….” Jack notes the faint accent reappears when he talks about Newt. Clearly he was invested in this persona he’d created.

“Owen…”

“I know, Jack! It wasn’t like I had any choice.” Owen grumbles, “He didn’t even use a working machine. He built a new one out of scrap when we told him he couldn’t do it. I think the shoddy equipment created a link between us. I physically can’t come with you. Find someone else.”

“Or……” Jack says enigmatically.

\----------------------------------------

\----------------------------------------

“No Jack.”

Jack takes out a gun and blasts a perfect square into what was previously the lock on Newton’s door.

“Jack, we are not doing this.”

Jack ignores him, going into Newton’s literally un-locked flat. He flips open his wrist strap and starts tapping at the screen. Owen, outgrowing some of his own morality, goes on in search of Newton.

He finds his friend curled in the fetal position on his bed. Owen hurries over “Mein Gott! Newton. Are you alright?”

“Ow. Hermann? Ow. What the hell? Wait. Is that a leather jacket?” He distracts himself from the major headache he has right now. “Because I need a photo. Tendo and I have a betting pool going.”

“You utter----“ Owen is suddenly cut off by Jack sweeping into the room.

“Hello there, Newt.”

“Do I know you?”

Jack ignores him. “You study Kaiju, right?”

“Um. Yes? What are you doing in my flat? Ulgh, my head…”

“You want to see some aliens?”

“What? Yes. What? Hermann, what is going on? Who is thi----“

“You coming or not?” Jack responds, leaving the room.

“Hell yes I’m coming.” He rolls out of bed clad only in boxers . He turns to Hermann, “Is this guy crazy? Like, seriously though. More aliens? I thought we sealed the only entrance!  Also, how did you get in and who is he and how does he know my name?” he begins rambling.

Hermann looks uncomfortable. “No. Well…..” he considers for a moment. “You will get to see aliens, I can promise you that.”

Newton opens his mouth.

Jack walks back into the room. “Seriously – bicker later. We’ve got a world to save…again.” He glances at Newt and winks. “Dress code optional. I’ll meet you lovebirds at the car.” And leaves them alone once more.

Newt reddens and grabs a crumbled pair of skinny jeans from the floor to put on. He attempts to gracefully put on a shirt and “tie”, Owen still cannot suppress Hermann enough not to cringe at that sorry excuse for fashion.

“Dude, seriously, who the hell is that guy? I get a vague flash of,” he flaps his hand in the air a bit, “ _something_ from the drift but…”

Owen sighs slightly as if bothered by sharing the least amount of useful information with Newt. “His name is Jack. That organization you saw in the drift, he leads it.” He says quickly.

“Oh. Um. Okay. Did I go out last night? Because yesterday is a bit foggy. And the day before? How did I even get here----Oh dude, no way! Is that a preserved Kaiju amygdala in my living room? Did drunk-me give me a gift? Dude. We have got to get drunk more often.” Newt rambles as they  make their way out of the flat, so enamored with his new sample that he almost walks into the door.

The door hangs open from the frame, squeaking slightly with the wind.

“What the fuck dude is, that my lock?”

Owen leans uncomfortably on his cane. “Sorry. That was Jack.”

“Woah. I mean, bad.  But so cool. Dude, it’s a perfect square. Can I have whatever made this? Please?”

Following the trend of the day, much to Newt’s annoyance, Owen ignores him until they reach the car.  

\---------------

“Took you long enough”

They pile into the SUV. Hermann instinctually goes to his old position, moving over to the further chair when Newt follows him in.

“Okay Jack, where are we going?”

“Sorry, I just had to get you two in an enclosed area . I reformatted the booster from the vortex manipulator to pick up only multicellular organisms with sophisticated neural networks. So that if I press…”

Jack pokes his wrist strap.

Suddenly a chain of events happens very quickly, somehow all at the same time. Newt feels the top of his head begin to itch slightly, a slight pulling sensation appears from….everywhere, lights flash in his eyes and everything goes dark.

Then everything speeds up and bursts into being in a brilliant flash of light.

“…here, we will teleport to the alien ship.” Jack finishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating will be sporadic - I apologize in advance. Blame midterms. 
> 
> This is ridiculously fun to write and will definitely be my continuing source of stress relief for a while. 
> 
> Enjoy!


	4. 4 - The Ship

 

“Am I dead?” Is the first thing Newton says. He is promptly ignored.

\-----

All around them spreads a large white room. Three long pools run from where they stand to the back of wall. Jack crouches down at the nearest pool and scans it. “Water and….kelp?”  He scans another, which contains a slightly different species of kelp, but is, on the whole, the same.

Engrossed in the pools, Newt’s brain finally catches up with him. “Did you say _Alien_ ship?” He splutters “Is this a kaiju ship? The capability for interstellar travel alo---“ he babbles on about kaiju.

Owen and Jack share a look – neither has any desire to explain the multitudes of aliens hiding behind the rift to the ever-enthusiastic biologist.

Fortunately, he is aware enough to follow the pair as they follow one of the pathways that divides two of the pools. On the other side of the room, they reach a corridor. Ignoring an inconspicuous ladder that leads to other parts of the ship, they follow the only path available to them. The corridor is lined with white tiles that seem to be imbued with a soft white light that glows pleasantly, lighting their path. Odd doors are spread along the sides of their path at regular intervals. Jack moves to scope around the corner in front of them. Newt excitedly opens the first door over much protest from Hermann.

He discovers that aliens apparently have needs for maintenance rooms.

Jack is not pleased with him when he comes back.

The doors disappear and several pathways seem to diverge from the corridor. On walking closer, it seems that instead of pathways, several unblocked rooms made of rock are stationed here. A soft light is cast here in here as well, though with the rock lining, the source of it is not visible. Each room has several alcoves carved into the walls. Owen grabs Newton’s arm to stop him from walking as Jack checks for life signs.  Jack signals that no one is there to Owen, who relaxes his grip slightly. Newton takes this as an invitation to wander off. He walks into one of the rooms and starts inspecting the alcoves.

Owen did not realize where he had gone until Newt shouts for him.

“Hey Hermann, check this out!”

Owen turns around, cringing. He looks around, but Jack seems to have disappeared. He joins Newton.

“It’s not like we are _trespassing on an alien ship or anything_! “ he hisses, “But no, I am _sure_ shouting is—“

He stops mid-sentence as he sees his former lab partner lying in one of the alcoves. “Newton.” he says firmly.

Newton ignores him, “Shhh. Dude, look. You could probably fit in here too. Well, half of you anyways. This remind you of anything?”

“What?” It takes him a second to compile Newton’s disjointed thoughts, “No.”

“Early Hominids?” Newton says expectantly.

“….I suggest you get the point. We are, need I remind you---“

“No, dude, _listen_. I think they sleep here!”

Owen looks around more carefully. Actually, it made sense. Although…

“Hey!” Newt indignantly screeches as Owen pulls him back to the corridor.

“Quiet!” He hisses. “Look at how many alcoves there were, how many rooms. So, where are they?”

Newt looks slightly worried, “Hey, don’t look at me! I study dead aliens, not live ones! Hey,” He says brightly, “Maybe they’re all dead and it’s just…abandoned or something…”

He trails off and follows Hermann forward. The corridor looks like it ends up ahead and a dull green light seeps into the passage from where it ends. While Owen attempts to peer ahead, Newton is looking off to their left.  He stares into a room which matches the other rooms they explored before, except it is slightly smaller and the alcoves are supplied with dark red blankets and easily recognizable pillows. Newt grins.

At the end of the corridor they reach a large circular chamber, the walls and base made entirely of rock with many corridors branching off the massive expanse of the room. The walls are adorned with a single line of bioluminescent moss which glows faintly green in the low light and a closed dome with a dark sheen makes up the center of the room. The reinforced glass that makes up the ceiling is their only reminder that they are no longer on earth. A wide expanse of space, galaxies floating in eternity, is spread above their heads.

“Woah…” Newt manages. Owen says nothing, but Newton can feel his awe and knows how much he agrees.

Owen breaks the moment. “Something is wrong. Why haven’t we seen anyone?”

Newt ruefully looks away from the ceiling. “They’re probably all dead.” He shrugs, “Hey, where’s your friend?”

“Jack? He’ll turn up. He does that. What makes no sense is that we haven’t passed any air ducts. Jack said the Mayfly eggs….” He looks at Newt and trails off, “Nevermind.”

Newton scrunches up his face. “Pretty sure I had a dream about mayflys, or a Royal bee delegation or something like that.” He sneaks a plastic bag out of his back pocket and starts scraping moss into it.

Owen looks at him, “Sample bags? Really?”

“Dude promised me aliens, of course I’m going to bring sample bags.”

“Bu—I watched you get dressed! You didn’t—“

“Fine. I always carry sample bags, okay? Never know when you want to take something back to the lab.”

Owen mutters something about insanity but accepts the answer.

They walk around the perimeter of the inner dome – from where they stand it looks completely solid, no doors or paths leading inwards. Besides the corridor they just came from, four other passageways slope into the distance, all lined with the faint glow of the moss. The closest corridor to them, unlike the others,  is the width of about five of their entrance corridors. They decide to follow it. Just as they turn, rattling noises begin hissing out of a smaller room to the left of their intended route.

Newton rushes toward the sound before Owen realizes it and he has to sprint to catch up. Panting, he finally reaches Newt, who is standing in front of a large cage that takes up the remainder of the small room. Figures pace back and forth around them hissing and groaning. The light is low here, no helpful glow from the walls - only the faint glow of the moss illuminates the area. Dozens of creatures mill about aimlessly. Most of them are Humanoid, similar in basic construction excepting the extra pair of arms and eyes. Others are…different. Owen recognizes three Weevils and a Tivolis but the other species are too difficult to place in the low light. Most of the humanoid aliens are shirtless and wearing golden colored skirts. A red cloth is tied around their waist and drapes down to their knees, while the skirt….does not. Only a few are wearing shirts, but are barely visible in the low light and are huddled as far away from the bars as possible. They seem slightly larger than the lean figures in front of them, but it is difficult to tell.

Newton stares.

Some of the aliens stare back but refuse to meet his eyes. Others do not seem to notice their presence. More seem fascinated at Owen’s cane.

Owen spots Jack in the corner talking to one of the four armed aliens. He walks over. Jack seems engaged in his conversation, but when he notices Owen, he moves as if he is introducing him. The alien preforms a weird movement that seems similar to when Newton when he drinks too much coffee but refuses to go to sleep.

“Um, Hi.” He replies. Turning to Jack, he says “What is going on here? Why is everyone locked up?”

“Well,” Jack says, motioning, “As my friend here just said, they are the ‘To be Studied’. Still not sure what that MEANS exactly, but…”

“How?”

“What?”

“How can you tell what they’re saying? It just seems like a lot of groaning and….interesting….acrobatics.”

“Oh. Wait a tic. Here.” Jack starts fiddling with his wrist strap. “I just got a new app. Lovely Time Agent, she was VERY satisfied with our arrangement.” Jack raises an eyebrow. Sparks fly off the computer. “Oh no, wait. Here.”

Suddenly the moans shape into words that shape into English. Newton is stuttered out of his reverie.

“Uh. Does anyone know why the aliens are suddenly speaking German?”

“Focus a second, turn it into English. I want to hear what you are telling them.”

“Okay…this is just weird.”

“Little thing I knew would come in handy someday. Doctor of mine recommended it, actually.”

\--------

Newton starts talking to the closest alien.

“Hello there. I am Newt. This is Hermann.” He awkwardly gestures to Owen. “And Other Dude.”

“Name’s Jack.” He says, stepping over with Owen in tow, “and they can understand you as well as you can them.”

The closest blue alien looks fascinated at the group and the others stand back slightly, watching.

:Hello Elder Male:  The alien titters respectfully. There is a slightly foreign lilt to the creature’s voice and it resembles the flowing of soft bells. It doesn’t feel like spoken words. The creature’s mouth seems to constrict in small circles as it talks – closer inspection reveals four lips working in tandem to create the sound. It is quite pleasant.

As Owen comes into view, the creature seems to grimace slightly, if it were at all possible with its facial construction.

:Disrespect to Ga-eer, Male: It pitches lowly. The lilt remains, yet the register is lowered slightly as if it was slightly angry.

Owen looks at the alien. “What is that? What do you mean?”

The alien turns instead to Newton.

:Do not let the Priest near your friend:

“What? Why?”

:I know not the power Male wields. She will do worse than Study if she finds him:

“What does that even mean? ‘Study’?”

:It is why we are all here:

“Yeah, why are you locked up?”

:It is our fate as you will find yours, Elder:

“What does THAT even mean? Elder?”

His alien merely turns away and moves toward the back of the room.

Newt turns to Jack, “Are all aliens this confusing or is it just the one I got?”

“No, it’s all of them. Let’s get out of here.”

Newton fervently and loudly disagrees, but is dragged outside by a very unamused Owen to join Jack outside the small room. Newton gets slightly distracted from the anger at his forceful removal from the (reallifeomygoshHermanndidyouseethattheyspokeandeverything!!!)  alien cage due to the brilliant stars shining down from the glass dome. Owen decides he quite likes what he has now dubbed the ‘Quiet Newton Room’.

The group decides to follow their originally intended path, just right of the Alien Holding Room. This hallway is very large. The light releasing tiles surround it entirely - a stark contrast from the lower light of the huge rock chamber - filling the path in bright white which is only varied by the twin streaks of bioluminescent moss on either wall. It breaks the uniformity of the passage and displays the enormity of the hall. It is actually quite aesthetically pleasing, Owen thinks.

Unconsciously, Owen observes that he never would have thought that before. When he was alive, he rarely enjoyed the simple things. Unless they were as simple as a good drink, a nice meal and a good fuck, that is.

 

The large hallway ends. On the side nearest them, a long passageway lined with scribbled on blackboards diverges from their own. Owen looks interested, but Jack seems wary. After a few taps on his wristband, Jack shakes his head and informs them that some damn good shielding is blocking his tech and it’s probably dangerous.

On the leftmost side of their  large hallway a metal door sits, fairly obviously locked, partially hidden in a passageway of its own.

Directly in front of their hallway, three doors, all leading to the same room sit completely open. They rise far above the group, directly to the ceiling. They are composed of beautiful etchings and designs,  clearly built for grandeur, not locking. Voices come from the other side. Some of them have the vague bell lilt of the prisoner, while others have a more reedy pitch. The chanting that echoes from the room harmonizes the voices within into a beautiful melody that flows out into the hall.

The two scientists stand rapt at the music, but Owen recovers his wits quickly enough. Jack, of course, has disappeared again. He gestures to Newton that they should go forwards. As they move, Owen catches a wisp of gorgeous coat out of the corner of his eye – it seems Jack is trying the metal door.

He and Newton creep toward the middle opening. Luckily the large doors to either side block the view of anyone who isn’t looking directly at the pair as they make their way into the next room.

They pause before they clear the protection of the doors. Directly in front of them sits a giant stage gilded in red and gold. Two steps lead up to the main area. The entire room is gilded in beautiful decorations, carvings in stone and metals that cover the walls and ceiling. From the rising harmony, it sounds like large numbers of the aliens are stationed at either side of them. 

Directly on the stage resides a very large statue dressed in a simple but professional collared shirt, vest and coat.

And leaning on a very familiar cane.

Newt stares at Hermann.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I've had this ready for a while, but i've been tweaking it a lot because the alien ship is ridiculously large and I didn't want to confuse anyone!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, posting will be sporadic. Stupid reality.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! This is super fun to write.


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